In recent years, short-distance radio communication technologies, such as IrDA (InfraRed Data Association) and Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication, have spread widely.
IrDA is a radio communication technology using infrared rays, permitting communication at 1.152 Mbps and 4 Mbps by only set up of software.
On the other hand, the Bluetooth communication is a radio transmission system which uses a 2.4 GHz zone, and does not have directivity but high permeability, unlike a case where infrared is used. The Bluetooth communication is expected to be an interface which realizes a data exchange regardless of devices, such as a personal computer, a peripheral apparatus, a household appliance, and a portable phone.
As for Bluetooth compliant devices, there are a “master” which determines a frequency hopping pattern and a “slave” which communicates with and follows the master, and a network comprises one master and a plurality of (seven sets, at most) slaves. The slaves perform communication between the master and the slaves, synchronizing with the frequency hopping pattern determined by the master. Communications between the devices are always performed through the master, so that no direct communication is performed between the slaves.
When choosing a communication counterpart's device in the Bluetooth communications, it is common that the master transmits an inquiry signal (Inquiry), by broadcasting, to devices which exist around itself so as to search for a possible device to he communicated, collect responses from the slaves, display, on a display screen, a list of model names, device ID's, etc. of devices which may be communicated, and have a user to choose a communication counterpart's device out of them.
However, with this method, there are many devices which allow radio communication within an area where communications are available and, even if most of the devices do not desire communication, all devices will be listed and displayed on a display section of the master. For example, when the list is displayed on the display screen by means of device ID's, it is difficult for the user to choose a desired one out of the displayed list including the plurality of apparatus ID's which cannot be grasped intuitively. Similarly, when the list on the display screen is displayed by means of model names and a plurality of more apparatuses of the same type are included in the apparatuses which can communicate, it is difficult to determine which device the user to choose.
In particular as for a short-distance radio communication technology which does not have directivity, such as the Bluetooth communication, unlike the communications having the directivity such as the infrared technology etc., it is difficult to intuitively choose a communication counterpart's device from the plurality of devices which can communicate, since devices within a predetermined area can communicate in all directions.
In addition, in order to determine a communication counterpart's device, a conventional method forces the user to perform operations such as referring to the display and choosing a desired device out of them, and there is a need for a technology in which the communication counterpart's device can be intuitively determined by an easy operation.